The present invention is directed to a device for manufacturing cushions with back-foamed covers, and in particular motor car seat cushions. The device broadly consists of a mold with an associated mix head. One half of the mold consists of a cavity and a stretching rim surrounding the cavity. The inner wall of the cavity is provided with suction channels which are in turn connected to a vacuum source. A tenter (or stretcher) is placed over the cavity and a roller element associated with the tenter presses the covering material against the stretching rim.
Roller elements have already been provided in the form of rollers mounted on axles, in order to have better control over the sliding of the cover material during suction into the mold (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,215). One problem with this earlier device is that such rollers cannot adjust to curves and thus may only be used in straight, flat regions of the rim. The geometry of the mold causes the cover material to travel shorter distances at some points, and longer distances at others, during drawing-in. It has turned out that the use of rollers does not sufficiently allow for this.
The problem is in improving the device of the type noted, so that the cover material could slide free of folds, or with reproducible folds at desired places, into the mold cavity.